# King of Alcatraz > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/King_of_Alcatraz > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/King_of_Alcatraz.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_of_Alcatraz > Source revision: 1339455012 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) 1938 film by Robert Florey King of Alcatraz Directed by Robert Florey Written by Irving Reis Produced by William C. Thomas Starring Gail Patrick Lloyd Nolan Harry Carey. Cinematography Harry Fischbeck Edited by Eda Warren Distributed by Paramount Pictures Release date September 30, 1938 (1938-09-30) Running time 68 minutes Country United States Language English ***King of Alcatraz*** is a 1938 American [drama film](/source/Drama_film) directed by [Robert Florey](/source/Robert_Florey) and starring [Gail Patrick](/source/Gail_Patrick), [Lloyd Nolan](/source/Lloyd_Nolan) and [Harry Carey](/source/Harry_Carey_(actor)).[1] It was the film debut of [Robert Preston](/source/Robert_Preston_(actor)).[2] ## Plot Just as gangster Steve Murkil is escaping from [Alcatraz](/source/Alcatraz) prison, rival [San Francisco](/source/San_Francisco) radio operators Ray Grayson and Bob MacArthur find themselves assigned to a freighter run by Captain Glennan, headed out to sea. Among those on board are a new nurse, Dale Borden, and passengers including a young woman and her mother. The younger one is Murkil's moll and the mother is Murkil himself in disguise, making a getaway, with several of his cronies also aboard ship. Ray and Bob both develop a romantic interest in Dale and both end up in confrontations with Murkil. A fight results in Ray being wounded, with Dale receiving radio instructions on how to perform an operation that he immediately needs. Murkil nearly makes his escape until he is shot by Glennan. On shore, Ray and Dale decide to get married, with Bob their best man. ## Cast - [Gail Patrick](/source/Gail_Patrick) as Dale Borden - [Lloyd Nolan](/source/Lloyd_Nolan) as Raymond Grayson - [Harry Carey](/source/Harry_Carey_(actor_born_1878)) as Captain Glennan - [J. Carrol Naish](/source/J._Carrol_Naish) as Steve Murkil - [Robert Preston](/source/Robert_Preston_(actor)) as Robert MacArthur - [Anthony Quinn](/source/Anthony_Quinn) as Lou Gedney - [Dennis Morgan](/source/Dennis_Morgan) as First Mate Rogers (as Richard Stanley) - [Richard Denning](/source/Richard_Denning) as Harry Vay - [Konstantin Shayne](/source/Konstantin_Shayne) as Murok - Eddie Marr as Dave Carter - [Emory Parnell](/source/Emory_Parnell) as Olaf - [Paul Fix](/source/Paul_Fix) as 'Nails' Miller - [Virginia Vale](/source/Virginia_Vale) as Dixie (as Dorothy Howe) - [Monte Blue](/source/Monte_Blue) as Officer - [John Hart](/source/John_Hart_(actor)) as 1st Radio Operator ## Critical reaction *[New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)* critic [Frank Nugent](/source/Frank_Nugent) called the film "a trim little melodrama, tightly written and logically contrived."[1] Kate Cameron of the *[New York Daily News](/source/New_York_Daily_News)* gave the film three of four stars. She praised Florey's direction and Nolan's performance.[3] An *[Orlando Sentinel](/source/Orlando_Sentinel)* reviewer called the film "a conglomeration of the old gangster films with a not quite conscientious triangle added."[4] ## See also - [Harry Carey filmography](/source/Harry_Carey_filmography) ## References 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-NY_Times_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-NY_Times_1-1) Nugent, Frank S. ["THE SCREEN; ' King of Alcatraz' Rules the Screen of the Criterion--The Palace Takes 'Time Out for Murder' At the Palace"](https://www.nytimes.com/1938/10/07/archives/the-screen-king-of-alcatraz-rules-the-screen-of-the-criterionthe.html). *NY Times*. Retrieved January 2, 2021. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Roundabout Previews Lead to Film Contract"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/66673881/article-on-robert-preston-debut/). *The Los Angeles Times*. August 28, 1938. p. 55. Retrieved January 2, 2021 – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Cameron, Kate (October 16, 1938). [""Dark Rapture" Jungle Thriller"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/68082047/dark-rapture-and-king-of-alcatraz/). *New York Daily News*. p. 35. Retrieved January 20, 2021 – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Klepper, Elaine (November 7, 1938). [""King of Alcatraz" Offers Gunplay On The High Seas"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/68082456/king-of-alcatraz-and-broadway/). *The Orlando Sentinel*. p. 2. Retrieved January 20, 2021 – via [Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com). ## External links - [*King of Alcatraz*](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030322/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier)) v t e Films directed by Robert Florey One Hour of Love (1927) The Romantic Age (1927) Face Value (1927) The Life and Death of 9413: a Hollywood Extra (1928) The Hole in the Wall (1929) The Cocoanuts (1929) The Battle of Paris (1929) Skyscraper Symphony (1929) The Road Is Fine (1930) My Wife's Teacher (1930) Love Songs (1930) Black and White (1931) Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932) The Man Called Back (1932) Those We Love (1932) Girl Missing (1933) Ex-Lady (1933) The House on 56th Street (1933) Bedside (1934) Registered Nurse (1934) Smarty (1934) I Sell Anything (1934) I Am a Thief (1934) The Woman in Red (1935) The Florentine Dagger (1935) Going Highbrow (1935) Don't Bet on Blondes (1935) Ship Cafe (1935) The Payoff (1935) The Preview Murder Mystery (1936) Till We Meet Again (1936) Hollywood Boulevard (1936) Outcast (1937) King of Gamblers (1937) Mountain Music (1937) This Way Please (1937) Daughter of Shanghai (1937) Dangerous to Know (1938) King of Alcatraz (1938) Disbarred (1939) Hotel Imperial (1939) The Magnificent Fraud (1939) Death of a Champion (1939) Parole Fixer (1940) Women Without Names (1940) The Face Behind the Mask (1941) Meet Boston Blackie (1941) Two in a Taxi (1941) Dangerously They Live (1941) Lady Gangster (1942) The Desert Song (1943) Roger Touhy, Gangster (1944) Man from Frisco (1944) God Is My Co-Pilot (1945) Danger Signal (1945) The Beast with Five Fingers (1946) Tarzan and the Mermaids (1948) Rogues' Regiment (1948) Outpost in Morocco (1949) The Crooked Way (1949) The Vicious Years (1950) Johnny One-Eye (1950) Adventures of Captain Fabian (1951) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [King of Alcatraz](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_of_Alcatraz) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_of_Alcatraz?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.